"What Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions. They are commandments." (Ted Koppel) *
* https://www.csmonitor.com/1987/0806/ukop.html
Then God gave the people all these instructions:
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
“You must not have any other god but me.
“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
“You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
“You must not murder.
“You must not commit adultery.
“You must not steal.
“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was. (Exodus 20:1-21 NLT) *
* https://biblehub.com/nlt/exodus/20.htm
The Holy Spirit moved James to tell us:
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. (James 2:10-11 NLT) *
* https://biblehub.com/nlt/james/2.htm
Pay attention, this will be on the test. We must examine ourselves carefully and honestly:
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23 NLT) *
* https://biblehub.com/nlt/romans/3.htm
Who of us has not let something matter to us more than God? We have satisfied our own wants and desires, even though we knew that God forbade it, haven’t we?
Have you used the name of God when cussing? Have you used the name of Jesus as an explicative? I have.
Some Christians set aside a particular day of the week to devote it to God. Others treat all days the same. (see Romans 14:5; Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:1-11) The day we worship on is not the issue I’m addressing here. The point is how many of us have gone for weeks, months, or even years without giving God a passing thought – or so much as a whispered prayer?
Have you spoken disrespectfully to your parents? In anger or resentment I spoke about my parents disrespectfully with my friends. Absorbed by the struggles of daily living, I neglected my aging mother.
Maybe we haven’t murdered anyone. Are there those we have hated? Have you wished somebody dead? I had a boss that treated me badly without cause, and I wanted to kill him. I didn’t, but Jesus said that wanting to murder him is the same thing as murdering him. (Matthew 5:21-22)
Have you had an affair? Or do you make it a point to watch the movies starring that particular actor that all the girls think is a “hunk?” So, what is the harm in enjoying a friendship with your friend’s spouse in which you share a closeness that should be reserved for your husband or wife? There is more than one way to commit adultery. (Matthew 5:27-28)
Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you without permission and without paying for it? Have you spread false gossip about someone, knowing it wasn’t true?
Are you jealous of your sister because she has a bigger house, more successful husband, or smarter kids? Are you secretly resentful of your coworker because he just bought an expensive car?
The Holy Spirit prompted Paul to explain to us that God gave us the Mosaic law to teach us what sin is. (Romans 7:7) In this way we are convicted in our hearts of our sin and come to understand our need for a Savior:
Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:19-22 NLT) *
* https://biblehub.com/nlt/romans/3.htm
Believe in Jesus Christ right now. Ask Him to save you, and He will give you forgiveness for all your sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) He will give you the Holy Spirit, living in you, and you will have the knowledge, desire, and strength to live a life that is pleasing to God. (Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 4:13)
CLARIFICATION April 9, 2022
After reviewing this post, it occurred to me that some readers might mistake my meaning. Therefore, please let me clarify. The 10 Commandments apply to Christians. The 10 Commandments are a simple and clear statement of the expectations that God has for His people.
The problem is that we are sinners. Whether we believe in Jesus, follow a different religious tradition, or do not believe in God at all, we cannot faithfully keep the 10 Commandments in our own strength. We know what sin is because the 10 Commandments tell us what it is. (Romans 7:7) We are convicted in our hearts that we have sinned when we compare our actions to God’s righteousness as revealed to us by His commandments.
When we believe in Jesus and are saved, we are given a new nature. (2Corinthians 5:17) If we give ourselves completely to Jesus we no longer willfully and rebelliously live a sinful lifestyle - but we still sin. We lie if we deny it. (1John 1:8) Therefore, God’s law points us to our need for a Savior.
We are not without hope. The Holy Spirit who lives in us after we are saved will conform us to become more and more like Jesus. (Romans 8:28-30) He paid the price for all our sins at the cross; past present and future. (1John 2:2; 1Peter 3:18) When we repent and confess our sins to Him, we are restored to a right relationship with Him by receiving the forgiveness He has already provided for us. (1John 1:9)
Therefore, God’s law is our standard. By keeping His commandments we show that we
love Him. (John 14:15)
